The present invention generally relates to an improvement in the efficiency of reviewing imaging studies using hanging protocols. Specifically, the present invention relates to the adaptive and dynamic modification of hanging protocols based on other users' productivity and efficiency.
Picture archiving and communication systems (“PACS”) connect to medical diagnostic imaging devices and employ an acquisition gateway (between the acquisition device and the PACS), storage and archiving units, display workstations, databases, and sophisticated data processors. These components are integrated together by a communication network and data management system. A PACS has, in general, the overall goals of streamlining health-care operations, facilitating distributed remote examination and diagnosis, and improving patient care.
A typical application of a PACS system is to provide one or more medical images for examination by a medical professional. For example, a PACS system can provide one or more imaging studies (each including a series of images) to a display workstation. The imaging studies can include current or recently acquired images. The imaging studies can also include older or previously acquired images. Such imaging studies are referred to as historical imaging studies.
The workstation can display the images in the imaging study to a radiologist in order to permit the radiologist to perform a diagnostic examination. The review or analysis of images in an imaging study is referred to as reading the imaging study. Based on the presentation of the images in the imaging study, the radiologist can provide a diagnosis. For example, the radiologist can diagnose a tumor or lesion in x-ray images of a patient's lungs.
The images in an imaging study typically are displayed in a particular spatial layout and/or temporal sequence. In other words, the images may be displayed in certain positions on a display device relative to each other (a spatial layout, for example). The images may also be displayed in a certain ordered sequence by displaying image A first, followed by image B, followed by image C, and so on (a temporal sequence, for example). The spatial and/or temporal presentation of images is directed by a set of display rules. A display rule may include a set of instructions stored on a computer-readable media that direct the presentation of images on a display workstation. A set of display rules is known as a hanging protocol. In general, a hanging protocol is a series of display rules that dictate the spatial and/or temporal layout and presentation of a plurality of images. Existing hanging protocols are either hard coded or static, as the hanging protocols are unable to adapt to changes made by a user while reading an imaging study.
A hanging protocol for radiology workstations can rely on the following factors to layout the images in an imaging study: (a) imaging modality (modalities-in case of multi-modality hanging protocol) used to obtain images in the study, (b) body part or anatomy imaged in the study, (c) imaging procedure used to obtain the images of the study, (d) the resolution of the workstation (for example, the number of monitors) and (e) the number of historical imaging studies. In most cases, a single hanging protocol is not enough for a radiologist to read the complete study, since the study contains a number of series. That is, a particular hanging protocol is unlikely to be suitable for all reviews and analyses of imaging studies. For example, some hanging protocols may not present side-by-side comparisons of current and historical imaging studies, while other hanging protocols may provide such a presentation. The “side-by-side presentation” protocols can be better suited for certain imaging studies and analyses, while the other protocols may not.
In addition, users of a given hanging protocol may desire to alter or change the hanging protocol. For example, a user may wish to include additional display rules to alter or modify a presentation of images at a display device. For example, the user may wish to present additional images adjacent to currently displayed images. In another example, the user may wish to present additional images after the current images are reviewed. Users may also wish to remove some of the display rules of the hanging protocol, or review information in addition to that included in the hanging protocol. For example, a user may desire to review a historical imaging study not originally included in the hanging protocol.
With increasing volumes of examinations and images, a reduction of radiologists and mounting pressures on improved productivity, radiologists are in dire need of increasing their efficiency in reading imaging studies. In a given enterprise, some experienced users learn and develop particular hanging protocols and changes to existing hanging protocols that increase the efficiency of the users in reading imaging studies. However, other users have not learned or developed such hanging protocols and hanging protocol changes. These other users typically are much less efficient that the users who have learned and developed the more efficient hanging protocols.
Thus a need exists for increasing the efficiency of users reading imaging studies in an enterprise. Such a need can be met by monitoring the efficiency of users of hanging protocols during their reading of imaging studies. By determining which hanging protocols and changes to the hanging protocols results in increased user efficiency, the efficiency of additional users can be increased. For example, the efficiency of users can be improved upon by adapting hanging protocols through the monitoring of the users' selection of protocols and/or changes to the protocols along with the users' efficiencies in completing their analyses on the imaging studies. In other words, by monitoring what other, more efficient users are doing, the efficiency of the less-efficient users can be increased.